Welcome to Week Five, the final installment of our Spooky Writing Season writing prompt series. For our last week, Jessica dives into the world of body horror in the short story "Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler. Try the prompts, and thank you for joining us on our terrifying literary travels! You can order from Bookshop.org or read for free online here.***Spoilers Below*** "Bloodchild" by Octavia Butler Happy Halloween friends! We've made it to the last week of our Spooky Writing Season series....

Image taken from The Lottery graphic novel by Miles Hyman Welcome to Week Four. All October long, we're exploring the terrifying, the uncanny, and the strange. This week, Jessica continues our series with Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery." Try the prompts, and let the terror fuel your writing until next Friday. You can order from Bookshop.org or read for free online here.***Spoilers Below*** "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson WARNING, SPOILERS AHEAD! “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is one...

Don’t forget!Tomorrow, Saturday, October 18th, we’re gathering on Zoom for a live Writing Sprint + Open Mic. Write with us for an hour, then stay to read your own work or a favorite poem by another, or just come listen.Sign up to read at the Open Mic here! Welcome to Week Three. All October long, we’ll be exploring the terrifying, the uncanny, and the strange. This week, Jessica continues our series with Yoko Ogawa's story "Afternoon at the Bakery." Try the prompts, and let the terror fuel...

Welcome to Week Two. All October long, we’ll be exploring the terrifying, the uncanny, and the strange. This week, Jessica continues our series with Agatha Christie's novel Hallowe'en Party. Try the prompts, and let the terror fuel your writing until next Friday. You can order from Bookshop.org or read for free online here. Hallowe'en Party by Agatha ChristieWelcome back from our jaunt, dear writers. I hope you managed the trip without losing your mind to the vastness of space and time, but...

Welcome to Week One. All October long, we’ll be exploring the terrifying, the uncanny, and the strange. Each Friday, you’ll receive a new installment featuring: A Text Autopsy: a close reading of a short, chilling work Generative Prompts: exercises to spark new writing in any genre Suggested Readings & Watchings: eerie texts and media We invite you to write alongside us all week. Use the prompts to spark new work or revisit old drafts, then look out for next Friday’s installment when we’ll...

Dear Jessica Sept 30th, 2025 How Do I Prepare for My First Open Mic? Dear Jessica, I’m about to go to my first open mic and I have no idea what to expect. I’m excited to share my writing but I’m super nervous. Any tips to make the experience less nerve-wracking? Thanks! Anxious Author Dear Anxious Author, I remember my first open mic like it was yesterday. I was writing poems nonstop and a friend mentioned something called poetrynight, a weekly reading in a city twenty minutes away from my...

I am certain I'm not the only one struggling to write this summer. The reasons not to are endless, I'm sure you know them well, but I thought I'd quickly run down some reasons to return to the page and some ideas as to how.Write to remember you're human. To practice empathy. To learn more about yourself and therefore, others. To calm down. To channel rage. To escape. To be more present. Because a filled cup can more easily give to others. Because you want to. Because you're a writer.For the...

“We have to be visible. We are not ashamed of who we are." -Sylvia Rivera Pride Month Reading List It's Pride Month y'all, and over here at Lemon Grove Writers we are rich in queer reading recommendations. Follow along to find new and old favorites and remember, it's Pride Month all year long! Taneum Bambrick - Intimacies, Received Tourmaline - Marsha, The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson Darius Stewart - Be Not Afraid of My Body Ben Kline - It Was Never Supposed To Be Ebo Barton -...

Dear Jessica May 15th, 2025 How Do I Write A Poem? Dear Jessica,Please! Tell me how to write a poem!Sincerely,Eager and Unsure Dear Eager and Unsure, The brevity of your question tells me you are already well on your way to writing a poem, because the first rule of writing poetry is this: get to the heart of the matter. So, here’s your heart and here’s why it matters: you want to know how to write one of these pesky poems you’ve been hearing about, and you’re not sure where to start. The good...